Other regional stories in brief.
Man pleads guilty to child cruelty charge
A man who dangled his two- week-old son out of a window and threatened to throw him to the ground has pleaded guilty at Dundalk District Court to a single count of cruelty contrary to the Children's Act 2001.
Gardaí were called to a disturbance at the man's home in Dundalk, Co Louth, by his partner just before 11pm on May 1st, 2005. She was locked out of the house and he was inside with her son. As gardaí forcibly entered the house, the man locked himself into an upstairs bedroom, held the infant out through the open window and threatened to throw him to the ground. The child was uninjured.
Conor Breen, defending, said his client had resolved his difference with his partner and they now had two children together.
Judge Flann Brennan adjourned the case and asked the probation and welfare officer to prepare a report on the accused.
Man admits stabbing waitress
A Co Clare man has pleaded guilty to stabbing a waitress at an Ennis hotel last month. At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, Tommy Dormer (32), Ashfield Park, Gort Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mia Buena (29), from the Philippines, at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Gort on January 2nd.
Dormer has been in custody since. After being charged, he told Garda Dominic Regan of Ennis Garda station that he was sorry for what he had done.
Dormer was remanded in custody with consent to bail to reappear before Ennis Circuit Court next Tuesday.
Four years jail for abusing daughter
A Galway man who sexually assaulted his now 18-year-old daughter has been jailed for four years by Judge Michael White at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The 41-year-old man pleaded guilty to five sample charges of sexually assaulting the girl when she was between 12 and 14 years old between 2001 and 2003.
Judge White said a role of a father was to protect his children and that this man's abuse represented a "breach of trust". He noted from a victim impact report that the teenager felt responsible for the impact it had had on her immediate family and on her father's brothers and sisters.
Judge orders return of stolen €24,000
A District Court judge has made an order for the return to the postmaster general of more than €24,000 believed to have been stolen from Ballyhaunis post office, Co Mayo, nearly two years ago.
Three masked men carrying knives held up postal staff on May 25th, 2005, before making off with €37,400 belonging to the post office. They also took several hundred euros from the postal workers as well as their mobile phones.
Judge Geoffrey Browne was told at Ballyhaunis District Court yesterday that about €24,000 was found on Derek O'Brien, Wellmount Green, Finglas, Dublin, when a car in which he was a passenger was stopped by gardaí at Killbeggan, Co Westmeath, on the day of the robbery. It was driven by Kevin Daly, Casemount Drive, Finglas.
Supt Michael Jackson told Judge Browne that no prosecution had been brought as the DPP felt it was unlikely there would be a conviction.
Stating he was satisfied the money came from the post office, Judge Browne directed its return to the postmaster general.